Far from being a neutral color that works with everything, orange clothing can be incredibly difficult to get right, and is often placed alongside the wrong colors.
If you’ve got some orange pieces in your wardrobe that you absolutely adore, but you’re not sure what will work well with them, we’ve got you covered. Simply keep reading to find out which colors you can pair with orange.
The History Of The Color Orange
Before we take a look at some popular pairings you can make with orange, first, let’s take a brief look at the history of the color.
The name orange was first used in 1512, in England, and derived from the name of the fruit. That’s right, in previous centuries, people would just allude to it as a mixture of yellow and red, with no real name.
Because it’s such a bold color, it became increasingly popular in the 20th century for workers who needed to be easily visible to those around them.
For example items of clothing such as high visibility jackets, life jackets, and even astronaut gear were all orange.
We still witness its bold nature today in common items such as traffic cones.
Even historical buildings and monuments are colored orange, for example, the golden gate bridge was painted orange in order to make it visible to travelers in the foggy weather.
Because of its vibrant, stand out quality, it conveys a feeling of vibrancy and enthusiasm. Burnt orange is a popular choice for Autumn, and it makes us think of the falling leaves and witnessing pumpkins everywhere.
Psychologically, orange is seen as an incredibly uplifting color, and it has been proven to actually increase productivity.
Colors That Go With Orange
There are two categories of colors which go well with orange, and those are bold colors, and natural colors.
Orange can be a surprisingly versatile color, and depending on the specific shade of orange that you’re wearing, it can be paired with a whole host of different colors.
Bold Colors
First of all, let’s take a look at some of the bolder colors out there that you can use to pair with orange.
This can look really great if you’re somebody who doesn’t mind standing out a little, as you can pair some of these colors together to create some fun, tropical looks.
One of the key things that you should pay attention to when trying to create a bold look using orange, is the undertones presented by the color.
If your garment has warm undertones, make sure to pair it with warmer colors, whereas, if it has cool undertones, pair it with cooler colors.
Some of the warmer colors that would work well with orange include pink and red, which can help to give the color a balanced look.
On the other hand, if you’re working with primarily cooler tones, then you can pair your orange garment with blue or green.
Green is known as one of the most complimentary colors to orange, so this makes it a great choice for creating a bold, yet stylish look.
Natural Colors
On the other hand, orange, particularly burnt orange, works excellently as a natural color.
As we mentioned previously above, orange is seen as a color that we associate with the falling leaves, and so you can create a more natural, understated look depending on what you pair it with.
If you want to create an incredibly cozy look, another color that works really well with orange is mustard.
Mustard pairs beautifully with burnt orange, and creates a color palette that harks back to the fallen leaves on the ground.
Which Orange Outfits And Accessories Should I Wear?
There are a number of different ways that you can wear orange to get the most out of the color.
One of the best ways that you can gradually add more orange to your wardrobe without inundating yourself in the color is to simply add some well placed accessories.
Start small, perhaps with a handbag, scarf, necklace, or shoes. These are a great way to add vibrancy to your wardrobe.
In terms of clothing items, you can opt for a monochromatic look if you’re feeling particularly bold, and orange can help to give you a silhouette that truly pops.
Denim works really well with orange, and can help temper the color if you don’t want to appear too bold. You could wear denim either in the form of a jacket, or a pair of jeans, to create a subtle and effortless look.
If you want another gradual, understated way to add more orange to your wardrobe, simply pick up some patterned pieces that have orange in the mix.
Remember that when you’re accessorizing with orange, make sure to steer away from silver jewelry. When wearing orange colors, gold is the way forward, as it compliments the naturally warmer tones.
Which Colors Clash With Orange?
We recommend that when you’re pairing other clothing items with orange, that you steer away from purples or blacks, in case you want to create a Halloween based look!
Final Thoughts
Surprisingly, orange goes with a variety of different colors. If you want to create a bold, overstated look, bright colors such as pink, red and blue work really well.
On the other hand, if you want a more natural, understated appearance, choose colors such as beige and mustard.
Hi, I’m Jessica Strouss and I was born a fashionista.
When I learned as a child that fashion and beauty go hand in hand with “suffering and pain”, I decided to make a difference.My love for animals is as important to me as my love for fashion. That’s why I’m devoted to promoting cruelty free and vegan options for clothes, shoes, accessories and make-up.
I truly hope that my website inspires you to make wise choices when it comes to buying clothes or beauty products.When we all contribute a little, we can make the world a better place.
